Andy Irvine's first solo album showcased songs and tunes from two of his main influences: side one (on the vinyl LP) featured pieces inspired by Irish traditional music, and side two concentrated on Balkan music.
Recording
The album opens with a trilogy of songs ("The Emigrants"), comprising: "The Green Fields Of Amerikay" (which Irvine learnt from Len Graham), "Farewell To Old Ireland"[3]: 56–58 (Irvine's adaptation of "The Emigrant's Farewell", H743[4]: 200 from Sam Henry's collection) and "Edward Connors"[3]: 60–62 (which Irvine learnt from Eddie Butcher of Magilligan, County Londonderry).[5]
Then comes "The Longford Weaver"[3]: 62–64 (H745[4]: 47 in Sam Henry's, where it is also known as "Long Cookstown" or "Nancy Whiskey"); it segues into "Christmas Eve" (reel).[5]
The Irish set concludes with "Farewell To Balleymoney"[3]: 66–67 (H615[4]: 343 in Sam Henry's collection).[5]
The Balkan set begins with "Romanian Song (Blood and Gold)",[3]: 68–69 based on a Romanian song collected by Béla Bartók, re-written by Irvine and Jane Cassidy and set to the music of a Bulgarian dance tune in the 'paidushka' rhythm of 5 16; the song then segues into "Paidushko Horo", an extensive collection of musical phrases borrowed from Bulgarian dance tunes in the same rhythm and performed at breakneck speed.[5]
"King Bore And The Sandman",[5] in mixed rhythms of 6 8, 9 8 and 4 4,[3]: 70–72 is Irvine's energetic lament about his times in Bucharest and "dedicated to the man, in the public house, we are always trying to avoid".
The original album (LP) closes with the self-penned "Rainy Sundays",[3]: 72–76 reminiscing about a young lady called Vida with whom Irvine pursued "a one-sided romance in Ljubljana years ago."[3]: 72 [5]
The CD version of Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams, released in 1989, includes a bonus track of "Bonny Woodhall"[3]: 24–25 featuring Irvine with Mick Hanly during their live performance as a duo at 'The 4th Irish Folk Festival' in Germany on April 30, 1977.[6] "Bonny Woodhall" is Irvine's interpretation of "Bonny Woodha' " (H476 in Sam Henry's Songs of the People[4]: 84 ), which he also set to new music. On this track, Irvine accompanied himself on Fylde 'Octavius' bouzouki (with the bottom two courses strung in octave).[7]
Track listing
1. The Emigrants – 13.51
(a) "Come to the land of sweet liberty" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Lunny, Gavin and O'Flynn)
(b) "Farewell to old Ireland" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Lunny, Brady and Gavin)
(c) "Edward Connors" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine and Lunny)
2. "Longford Weaver"/"Christmas Eve" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Gavin and Epping) / (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Gavin, Epping and Lunny) – 5:31
3. "Farewell to Ballymoney" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Lunny and Brady) – 4:31
4. "Romanian Song (Blood and Gold)" (Andy Irvine, Jane Cassidy) – 4:09
5. "Paidushko Horo" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine and Lunny) – 3:34
6. "King Bore and the Sandman" (Andy Irvine) – 3:05
7. "Rainy Sundays" (Andy Irvine) – 6:13
8. "Bonny Woodhall" (Bonus Track) (Traditional; arranged by Andy Irvine) – 5:44 (*)
Recorded and mixed at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin.
Produced by Dónal Lunny.
Engineered by Brian Masterson.
(*) Bonus track recorded live at 'The 4th Irish Folk Festival' in Germany on April 30, 1977.
^O'Toole, Leagues (2006). The Humours of Planxty. Ireland: Hodder Headline. ISBN03-4083-796-9.
^ abcdefghiIrvine, Andy (1988). Aiming For The Heart. Germany: Heupferd Musik Verlag GmbH. ISBN39-2344-501-6.
^ abcdHuntington, Gale; Herrmann, Lani; Dr Moulden, John, eds. (2010). Sam Henry's Songs of the People. Athens, GA and London: The University of Georgia Press. ISBN08-2033-625-4.
^ abcdefSleeve notes from Andy Irvine - Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams LP, Tara Records TARA 3002, 1980.
^Sleeve notes from The 4th Irish Folk Festival On The Road, InterCord INT 180.038, 1977.
